


Moonlight Striders

by Dean_C_Fischer



Series: Moonlight Striders [1]
Category: Pokemon - Fandom
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-04
Updated: 2019-11-29
Packaged: 2021-01-23 02:48:56
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 11,913
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21312934
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dean_C_Fischer/pseuds/Dean_C_Fischer
Summary: (WIP) A war between two clans rages, and a young Greninja is sick of it. So when he falls in love with a beautiful Zoroark of the rival clan, the two work to stop the fighting.
Series: Moonlight Striders [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1536451





	1. You Can Run

Out in a forest walked a Greninja in a pitch black shozoku, a water kunai in their hand that they were toying around with. Their focus was completely absorbed by the knife they held, so they occasionally bumped into the trees as they walked past them. Eventually, the trees cleared out, a large minka in the center of a massive clearing. The Greninja tossed the kunai into a tree trunk, then made their way across the clearing to the house. He slid the door open and stepped inside, taking in the aroma of dumplings with a sigh of content.

“I’m home,” they called. They had a young male voice with a Japanese accent. He couldn’t have been older than eighteen.

“Dinner’s almost ready,” an older female voice of the same inflection responded from another room. One of the walls slid to the side to reveal a small kitchen, a Chesnaught in similar clothing in the threshold. The only difference between the two’s outfits were that the Chesnaught’s had a navy blue four sided star on either shoulder.

“Hey Damien,” they greeted, a deeper and gruffer male voice than the Greninja’s.

“Hey Nalen,” Damien replied. “Nothing to report as usual.”

“We’ve gotta keep our guards up anyway,” said Nalen as he lead Damien into the kitchen. They sat cross legged on the floor next to a low standing table, passing a pink skinned Greninja in a navy blue shozoku at the cooking pot. Their shoulders had the same insignia, but it was in black. “You never know when they’ll strike again.”

“Remind me why you’re living with us again?”

“Because my house was burned down by the Tailwinds! Come on man, you’ve heard me say it at least five times now!”

“I’m just saying, you don’t attack a Salazzle who’s minding her own business. She’s gonna defend herself any way she can, and if that means with fire, then she’s gonna use fire.”

“You know you can’t expect me to take you seriously when you say a Tailwind was minding their own business in Disciplined territory. Back me up Saeji.”

“Come on Damien,” the pink Greninja began, “are you really insinuating that Rizo’s daughter wouldn’t do that on purpose?”

“Unlike you mom,” Damien growled, “I don't despise the Tailwinds. I won’t partake in it.”

“As my son, you’ll be a Disciplined. That’s not going to change.” Saeji brought a large bowl of dumplings to the table, then took three ceramic bowls from a stack in a drawer and set two of them on the table in front of Nalen and Damien. She set her own down opposite of Nalen and fetched three pairs of chopsticks, distributing them and then sitting down to eat. They divided the dumplings evenly, leaving an extra in the bowl for if anybody was still hungry. They ate in silence for a while. “I got a message while you were gone.”

“Another meeting that I’m not gonna go to?” Damien asked through a mouthful of food.

“I get that you really aren’t interested in the clan, but you should at least attend this one,” Nalen advised. “It’s Saeji’s reinstatement for her month of leadership.”

“The message stated that we should get to headquarters at noon tomorrow. I really want you to come Damy.”

Damien swallowed and shook his head. “Don’t call me that, and too bad. I’m gonna be AWOL again, and you can’t stop me.”

Saeji sighed, her disappointment apparent. She plucked another dumpling from her bowl. “I suppose I can’t.”

“Anyway,” Nalen interrupted, “thanks again for housing me. You put that bounty on Larcel, right?”

Before Saeji could respond, Damien slammed his fists into the table and stood up. Without a word, he stormed out of the house. Nalen and Saeji looked on in shock. “Yeah…”

“Should we follow him or-“

“He always comes back at nightfall. You don’t have to worry about him.”

“He’s really adamant about not associating himself with the Disciplined or the Tailwinds, huh?”

With another sigh, Saeji took the last dumpling from Damien’s bowl and placed it in her own. Nalen took the one from the center bowl and placed it in his. “He doesn’t see how important it is that we get back at them. He’ll get it eventually. We’ve just gotta be patient with him.”

Nalen gave a concerned expression, but nodded. “Eventually…”

-

Damien found himself marching briskly through the trees. He knew exactly where he was going, and his frustration got him to walk faster. Nearing his destination, he began to slow, taking deep breaths as he did so. However, he was halted by a Braviary. He flew in from above, a specially tailored black shozoku for his body shape covering him. “Hail!” he greeted with a deep voice. His wings settling, the star crests became visible.

“What’re you doing out here Crimson?”

“Have I ever told you that it’s weird how you tend to use people’s names more often than most? Specifically when you greet them?”

“Shut up and answer me. I’m not in the mood for bull.”

“Alright alright, sheesh. I was looking for you. Was wondering if you wanted to go out for a fly!”

“While that sounds lovely, I’d rather blow off steam with Jasper.”

“Ah, I get it. I’ll let Saeji know I saw you heading the opposite direction the next time I see her.”

“Which’ll probably be at the coronation tomorrow. Can you promise me one thing?”

“Depends. What is it?”

“Don’t follow her like a blind Mareep. You know she can be overzealous and stubborn.”

“Sounds like another Greninja I know.”

“Shut up.”

Crimson chuckled a bit. “I’ve got you. I’m on your side ‘till the bitter end.”

“Thanks dude. Tell Razor I said hi.”

“Will do. Good luck Damien.”

“And you do it with goodbyes.” It was Damien’s turn to chuckle.

“Guess so. See you later.” With no more fanfare, Crimson took off in the direction Damien came from.

Now unoccupied, Damien continued his trek. On his way, he made a Water Shuriken. It had six sides and was of elegant design. “‘I’m so proud of you!’” he exclaimed, mimicking Saeji’s voice. “‘Your stars are six sided! That’s so rare! Mine are only five sided!’” He shook his head, then gazed longingly at the break in the trees, throwing the star into a nearby tree. Damien looked down a hill at a small pond below. He gave it a warm smile and sat down next to a bush to relax a little. “The whole thing’s stupid,” he muttered to himself. “I don’t get why mom can’t see where I’m coming from.”

He let out a long sigh and forged a kunai from the moisture in the air, then toyed with it for a while. After boring of that, he set it at the base of a nearby tree. Suddenly, he heard movement from behind him, like somebody was running through the brush. He stood up and turned to the source of the noise just in time for a Zoroark in a burgundy shozoku to crash into him. They both fell down and tumbled down the hill, grunting in discomfort with each time they rolled over each other. They came to rest dazed next to the pond, Damien on top of the Zoroark. When his wits were about him, he found himself staring into their eyes, and them his. Getting a better look at them, he could tell they were a girl, and a pretty one at that. Something stirred within him in that moment, and judging by her eyes, she felt it too.

“Sorry about that,” she apologized. Her words came out with a beautiful French accent.

“Not a problem really. I’m kinda glad I bumped into you.”

Damien’s eyes drifted down to her chest, and her eyes his shoulders. While his clothing was brandless, hers had a crimson pair of angel wings emblazoned on the breast. He slowly stood up, cautiously eyeing her as she got up too. “Oh, how rude of me! I’m Zodiac.”

“And I’m… Damien.” Upon hearing his name, Zodiac got into a defensive stance. “No no no, I’m not like the others!”

“Why should I trust that? You’re Saeji’s son, and she’s a ruthless woman.”

“Because I hate everything about the Disciplined! I’m tired of always being at odds with you Tailwinds! I just want to stop fighting.”

Zodiac lowered her guard. “Me too. I’m sick of the war. Do you think… Do you think we can end it?”

“I… I’d like that. I’d like that a lot.” They found themselves staring again. “What were you running from?”

Before Zodiac could respond, the ground began to shake as thunderous footsteps sounded from the direction she came in from. The two disappeared from sight as a Kommo-o in Disciplined garb investigated the area. They found the kunai and shuriken, then laughed a booming laugh.

“Master Damien must have found the girl,” they deduced. Another deep male voice. “It is only a matter of time before she falls to his impeccable prowess!” He turned around and left, his footsteps audible for many seconds after he was gone from sight. After the booms faded, the two reappeared.

“What the-“

“Illusion powers. It always shocks people when I do that to them for the first time.”

“That’s amazing. So what do we do about Havupac?”

“Is that the brute’s name? That’s a mouthful.”

“Lots of the names around me are weird in my opinion. Nalen, Saeji, Maquero, Havupac, Jhinal.” Damien’s face lit up. “Oh yeah! I forgot the whole reason I came out here!” He trotted over to the pond and knelt by the edge of the water, then slapped the surface. After a few seconds, a Magikarp peeked out of the water. “Hey Jasper!”

“Hey Damien.” He spoke slowly and relaxedly, his voice trailing off. “How are you doing Damien?”

“So so. My mom put a bounty on one of the Tailwinds, so I’m kinda pissed about that.”

“Larcel?” Zodiac asked.

“Yup. Do you know her personally?”

“She’s my sister. Not biologically, but adoptively. She still feels really bad about what she did.”

“I knew it was an accident!” Damien looked ecstatic. “I just wish Nalen could see that.”

“Nalen has reason to think Larcel is mean,” Jasper pointed out. “Nalen lost his house because of Larcel. Larcel did a bad thing.”

“She didn’t mean it!” shouted Zodiac defensively.

“Larcel still burned down Nalen’s house. Who is that lady Damien?”

“This is Zodiac. She’s one of the Tailwinds, but she’s like me! She doesn’t want to fight.”

“Hello Zodiac. It is nice to meet you Zodiac.”

“Hi there. What are you doing out in a secluded pond like this?”

“He never met his parents. I think they dumped his egg here and left.”

“Oh no! That’s awful.”

“Jasper doesn’t mind,” Jasper interrupted. “Jasper does not need parents. Jasper has Damien.”

“I really like Jasper. He’s really open minded, and he’s like a blank slate all for me because he hasn’t been impressed from anybody else. He helps me out by being somebody I can vent to.”

“I see. He must be lonely when you aren’t around. Have you ever thought about moving him to another pond? One closer to home or more spacious?”

“Jasper would like that a lot. Damien wants to, but Damien doesn’t want Jasper to be corrupted by others. Damien and Jasper have talked for a long time about finding Jasper a new pond.”

“I’ve got a few ideas, but the pond near Disciplined headquarters is looking like the safest bet size wise. I understand that it’s best for him if he gets extra space, even if it means socializing. But y’know what? I shouldn’t be selfish by keeping him to myself at his expense.”

“Jasper doesn’t mind either way. Jasper is content with just Damien’s company.”

“You’d quickly change your mind if you were in that pond. It’s huge, and you’d make lots of friends pretty quickly. The problem is, you’d probably get indoctrinated by the Disciplined and trained until you evolve and can be of use to them. I really don’t want to see you turned into a pawn.”

“Who else knows Jasper? Seems like at least one other person would have stumbled across him by now.”

“Jasper only knows Damien. Jasper is okay with that.”

“I haven’t introduced anybody to him. As far as I’m aware, I’m his only contact. Besides you now.”

“Jasper likes Zodiac. Zodiac is nice. Zodiac is concerned for Jasper.”

“So Zodiac…” Damien began to feel anxiety well up within him. “I forgot to say during introductions, but I think you’re cute.”

“You’re pretty handsome yourself. How old are you?”

“Seventeen. You?”

“Sixteen.” Zodiac shifted about, slowly inching towards Damien. He responded by walking right up to her, taking her hands in his.

“Do you really think we have a shot at breaking up the fighting?”

“Only one way to find out.” They found themselves staring into each other’s eyes again. “My father will be very happy to hear I found a boy.”

“I’m not telling my mom about you. She’ll prod way too much and get suspicious when I never bring you home.”

“Dad wants the fighting to end just as much as we do. He only orders we defend ourselves out of honor. It’s up to us to convince the Disciplined to ceasefire.”

“Maybe love can convince them.”

“Maybe…”

“Please warn Larcel about the bounty on her head if she doesn’t already know.”

“She’s already well aware.” Zodiac dropped her hands to her sides and turned away. “When would you like to see me again?”

“Hmm… We’d probably meet here, but we could also go into the village. I’ve been meaning to get my katana sharpened.”

“The villagers hate us though. Our disputes-“

“Do you have any other clothes?”

“Um, no,” Zodiac began as she turned to face Damien again. “Why?”

“Those wings on your chest.” Zodiac looked down at the crest of the Tailwinds.

“_ Oh _. That.”

“The townsfolk know me as Daniel. I’m sure if you had some other clothes, you could join me as… Erm… Zoey!”

Zodiac stood there for a second mulling it over. “Alright, I’m gonna show up here at sunrise. See you then?”

“That sounds great! I’ll be here! One more question before you go.”

“Yes?”

“What were you doing that got Havupac to give chase to you?”

“Ugh. I was trying to go get supplies for one of our walls since Jhinal has been blowing them up to intimidate us. The fastest way to do that is to go through Disciplined territory to get to the outskirts of town.”

“I see. Is that the same case with Larcel?”

“Yeeeup.”

“Alright. I’ll go talk with Havupac, tell him you masterfully confounded me with your powers, and then I’ll see you again tomorrow morning.”

“Sounds like a plan. Goodbye for now.” Zodiac ran off into the trees, leaving Damien alone.

“Bye.” Damien walked up the hill and examined the brush. The direction Havupac went was apparent by bits of bark that were scraped away by his scales. He set off in pursuit, a lackadaisical expression claiming him in spite of his physical activity.


	2. Discipline

After a long trek, Damien found himself near the edge of the town. The minka he found was a lot smaller than the one he called home, and the doorway was scratched up from repeated entry by Havupac. Damien walked up to it and stopped by the door, taking on a pained expression and letting his posture deteriorate. “Havupac? Are you here?”

“Master Damien?” Havupac’s voice called from inside.

“Yep. I’ve gotta talk for a sec.”

“Well come right in!” Damien stepped inside, taking in the simplicity of the single room. There was no bed, no cookware, and no washtub. All that kept the room from being empty was a table in the back left corner and two katana racks on the back wall, a blade in each. Havupac himself sat at the table, an apple in hand. “What brings you to my humble abode?”

“Humble is an understatement,” Damien marveled. “Do you sleep on the floor?”

“Yeah, why?”

“Isn’t that uncomfortable?”

“Nope! I don’t mind it one bit! So why did you come all this way?”

“Right. Did you see any Tailwinds en route to the village?”

Havupac’s face took on a serious look. He set the apple down on the table and turned his entire body to face Damien. “Yeah, I did. I gave chase to them until I reached a pond and couldn’t find them. But I did find this.” He motioned to the table. Next to the apple was Damien’s water kunai. “A shuriken of yours too. Did you run into them?”

“If it was Rizo’s daughter Zodiac, then yeah. But she ran into me, not the other way around.”

“What did you do to her in retaliation? Did you capture her? Kill her on the spot?”

“More like gawk at her beauty and not realize she was the enemy until she had already kicked me between the legs.” He leaned against the doorway and let faux shame claim his face. “She played me like a fool.”

“Oh man, really?” Damien gave a small nod. “I should’ve kept searching instead of leaving when I figured you were handling it. Sorry about that.”

“You’re good, really. She did drop some info though, so it’s not a total loss.”

“Here.” Havupac took the apple from the table and tossed it Damien’s way. He caught it with one hand, then tossed it back.

“Not hungry. I ate less than an hour ago.”

“Got it.” Shamelessly, Havupac shoved the whole apple in his mouth. “Sho dis imfo she told you.”

“Yeah, apparently Jhinal has been blowing holes in their walls. Zodiac was running out for supplies to fix that.”

Havupac didn’t look like he believed it. He swallowed before voicing his thoughts. “Jhinal wouldn’t just blast their walls without acting on it. There has to be more to it than that.”

“Intimidation perhaps?”

“That’s more like it. Maybe she was telling you the truth, but what of it? We let her get away.”

“There’s more. Rizo wants out of the war.”

That got Havupac’s jaw to drop. “No way. He waged it in the first place!”

“I’m still not entirely sure why people do what they do or say what they say, but he has to have his reasons. We oughta take it with a grain of salt, but maybe there’s more we can learn.”

“Yeah? Like what?”

“Maybe if we learn more about why the Tailwinds fight us, we might be able to end the war if we-“

“You want the peaceful way out?!”

“Havupac… I don’t want to lose any close friends to this conflict. The villagers hate us, life sucks, and I just want to live a quiet life and settle down with a girl someday. I get it, you like fighting. That’s why Jhinal made you one of the masters along with Maquero and my mother. But I’m different. I don’t exactly hate the Tailwinds.”

Havupac couldn’t grok the idea of settling the war diplomatically. “But they attacked us first! They have to be punished for it!”

“You think that. That’s okay. But there are other ways to punish people than bloodshed. I’m asking you as a friend to hear me out here and let me figure out more about the inner machinations of the Tailwinds. If I have any reason to hate them after the fact, you’ll be the first to know. Please. The next time you see one, stand your ground if they attack first. But if they don’t lash out, don’t instigate. Chances are, they’ll go back to business.”

Skepticism was the most apparent thing on Havupac’s face. “I can try, but Jhinal will be pissed.”

“Honestly? I’ll fall on the sword for that. Just tell him what I told you and let him be pissed at me.”

“You know I can’t do that in good conscience. You know how he can be.”

“And I know that you don’t need to be punished for my idea. Sure, you could definitely take a beating better than I could, but you don’t deserve it. Besides, you have a reputation to uphold. I couldn’t care less what people think of me.”

“That’s why I look up to you. You’re always looking out for others, and you can wield a katana better than anyone I know.”

“There’s more to strength than physicality y’know. You’ve got that part down pat, and your mental and emotional strength shines bright too. Thank you for giving this a shot.”

“So how are you going to learn about the Tailwinds?”

Damien chuckled a bit. “You just leave that to me.” He turned and walked out, then made his way around the house and continued for the village. “‘Why don’t you like having the emblems on your clothes?’” he asked, mimicking Saeji. He forged a kunai to toy with as he walked, glancing at the outskirts every now and then to see if he could spot Zodiac. While he couldn’t find her, he did see somebody approaching him. “Larcel, right?”

A sway in her hips, a Salazzle walked up to him. Her clothes were like Zodiac’s, burgundy with a crimson emblem. Unlike Zodiac, however, there was a katana slung across her back. She stopped and looked him over, a curious yet suspicious look to her. “And you,” she said, a strong British accent to her words, “must be Damien.”

“Yeah,” he confirmed, tossing the kunai behind himself. “How much did Zodiac tell you?”

“Just to ask the brandless Greninja what his next move is if I saw him first. Well?”

“My next move. That would be to learn anything and everything about the Tailwinds so I can end this war.”

Larcel’s hand began inching towards her katana, her eyes darting to the treeline for a split second before returning to Damien. He couldn’t help but also look over to where she was eyeing. It was Havupac she saw, his imposing form approaching briskly. “And what about him?”

“Stand down Havupac,” Damien commanded with authority. Startled and confused, he obeyed, stopping in his tracks. “He’s just checking up on me.”

“Not entirely true master Damien,” Havupac admitted with a bow. “I actually had a question for you.”

“Which is?”

“What do I do if I’m ordered to attack someone by Saeji after she takes command tomorrow?”

“Mess it up in as believable a fashion as possible. Trip or something. Or argue a point. You’re just as highly ranked and revered as her. Hell, you’re Jhinal’s favorite. As long as you don’t make it blatantly obvious you’re trying to avoid fighting the Tailwinds, chances are you’ll be fine.”

“Alright, got it! And you.”

“Moi?” asked Larcel.

“Yeah. You’ve got a bounty on your head, dead or alive.”

Larcel let out a big sigh. “I know. I still feel really bad for that Chesnaught-“

“Nalen.”

“Yeah, him. It’s a stain on my honor that I’d like to cleanse, and soon.”

Damien wanted to question it, but thought better. “Alright Havupac, you can go home now. Mull over what I told you or something.”

“Okay. Good luck, both of you.” Havupac turned and bolted.

“Does he have to run?”

“The idea of not beating you to a pulp is foreign to him. He was fighting himself to not attack.”

“Gotcha. You aren’t very highly ranked, are you?”

“Respect goes a long way. He’s second only to Jhinal, but he still hears me out because he respects me. Be thankful for that, because he’s a monstrous force when he wants to be.”

“Threats aside, you wanna know more about the Tailwinds? We should start with my father.”

“Rizo the Fearsome.”

“He’s only fearsome when it benefits him. In the case of the war, he waged it for personal reasons. He never said why, but it was right after he adopted Zodiac. It’s been a long sixteen years, lemme tell ya.”

“How old are you by the way?”

“Nineteen in about two months. Anyway, I’m almost certain the events are connected. I’d be willing to wager my katana on that.”

“Hmm… What else is there to him?”

“Well, in case you don’t know how biology works, he had a Salazzle for a lover. She ditched him with me after the egg was laid, so I guess she wasn’t ready to be a parent. He handled it rather well, or so I’m told. There’s also his hubris, also known as the only reason he won’t formally surrender and end this damned war. I get it, there’s honor on the line, but come on!”

“Does he have a past with Jhinal? That could-“

“He hates Jhinal with all of his heart and soul. Every fiber of his being is devoted to taking him down.”

“Does anybody know when this hatred started?”

“It was so sudden and out of the blue. Even his closest friends and clanmates don’t know why, but they all say that magic date. It was the day he came home with an egg cradled in his necks.”

“Can’t exactly say arms when he’s a Hydreigon, huh?”

“Nope. The tailors had fun making his shozoku, that’s for sure.”

“So maybe Zodiac’s biological parents have something to do with it.”

“Maybe so. I wouldn’t try and track them down though. They just kinda disappeared-“

“When he came home with Zodiac.”

“Bingo.”

“It can’t be a coincidence then. There’s obviously a connection. But what?”

“He won’t say. He seems traumatized by it, and he’s especially adamant about not talking about it when Zodiac’s around.”

“Maybe getting him to spill can get us closer to the end of this war. So where did Zodiac go?”

“I ran into her on her way to get the supplies for our walls. I decided to send her home and do it myself so she can explain her situation after she told me about you.”

“And what about me? What do you think of me? I get it, it’s jarring to be offered a helping hand from your sworn enemy.”

“I think I’ll have to keep an eye on you. For all I know, this could be a massive and elaborate trap. But I think I trust you for now.”

“That’s a relief. I’m going to be in the village tomorrow to get my katana sharpened if you need to tell me something.”

“So I’ve been told. I’ll let you know if- Are you alright?”

Damien was shifting about uneasily. “I feel like I’m being watched.”

“I think I can solve that little dilemma.” Larcel turned to the trees. “Oi! I’m fine, so you can leave!”

Damien gave her a confused look, then turned to the trees as well when a rustling caught his attention. From the branches fell a Noivern, their frantic flapping barely stopping them from faceplanting. “Don’t startle me like that!” they shouted, landing on their feet and running over to them. It was clearly a girl from their crazed sounding yet feminine voice, and they had a shozoku that was the same as Larcel’s.

“Then don’t spy on me babe! You have nothing to worry about. I can handle myself.”

“He’s a Disciplined! Of course I have something to worry about! What the hell are you doing talking to him?”

“Right. Introductions. This is Damien, son of Saeji. He wants to end the war. Damien, this is Yuna.”

“That’s Yuna the Glorious to you!” Yuna yelled, pointing at Damien as she did so. “Don’t get any bright ideas about my girl there. She’ll end you if you try any funny business.”

“Noted.” Damien took Yuna’s hand and shook it. She immediately ripped it out of his grasp. “So you two have a thing going on?”

“She’s mine. I’m hers. And these ears of mine will tell me if you try and fuck with her, figuratively or otherwise.”

“Wasn’t planning on it. I just want to know more about the Tailwinds so I can-“

“Destroy us from the inside out?”

“No! So I can use my knowledge of the Disciplined to end the war!”

“Psssh! A likely story!”

“Zodiac believes him,” Larcel interjected.

Yuna froze in place, then shook her head. “Okay, fine! Maybe he’s telling the truth. But I’m watching you. Larcel’s not the only one who can end you.”

“Also noted. Is there anything you guys need to know about the Disciplined?”

“Uhh, yeah,” said Larcel. “Why is your command structure so weird?”

“Ah yeah, that. Well, Jhinal never did like a straightforward system. He likes to make things complicated. That means he’s top dog, but he rotates the ‘leaders’ every so often. Currently, Maquero the Diligent is in charge. Tomorrow, my mom is taking over. Then Havupac will be in command. He’s Jhinal’s favorite, and all the juicy stuff happens when he’s calling the shots. You don’t have too much to worry about at this time, but if we can’t get this over with in about a month, Havupac will take over again, and Jhinal seems to be planning something big.”

Larcel and Yuna glanced at each other, worry in their eyes. “So that’s a soft time limit on this whole operation of yours,” Larcel deduced.

“Thanks for the heads up I guess,” Yuna added. Damien gave them both a nod. “If that’s everything, then we can get going and take this wagon back to base. I hate to say it, but I think we should take the long route.”

“Agreed. One more thing Damien.”

“Yeah?”

Larcel took on a serious facial expression and raised her right hand to Damien’s neck, claws pointed at the skin. He didn’t flinch. “If you so much as scratch Zodiac, I will hunt you down and tear your throat out. That’s a promise.”

“Noted once more. That everything?”

His composure impressed Larcel. She returned her hand to her side and smirked at Damien. “For now.” She spun around and walked away, her tail brushing up against Damien’s thigh as she did so. Her saunter got her tail to swish from side to side as she left.

“I’m watching you,” Yuna informed before spreading her wings and taking flight. Damien watched her catch up with Larcel, then turned to the village.

“As you should,” he muttered. He did a one eighty and began walking home through the forest.


	3. Blazing Fury

Zodiac’s stride was long as she followed a cobbled road through the forest. There was a buffer of grass on either side of the path before the trees began, and a large and grand minka stood tall on the right side of the road. She eyed a hole in the side of the wall with worry and disgust, but she pressed on. “Poor Yuna,” she muttered, “getting Jhinal’s wrath. If he really wanted to, he could’ve easily killed her.” A rustling in the trees off to her left got her attention. “Yuna?” she called. “Is that you?”

“Not quite,” a suave male voice responded. “I saw you with Damien earlier today.”

“Who are you? Show yourself!”

“And why should I do that? Exposing myself to a Tailwind could very easily get me killed.”

“So you’re a Disciplined. You have nothing to fear! You saw me with Damien, so you know I don’t hate you! I won’t attack you if you show yourself!”

There was silence for a tense few seconds. Then, from one of the trees, a Decidueye leapt out. He landed lightly and kept his eye on Zodiac as he approached. His wings concealed most of his body, but the black shoulders of a shozoku and their navy blue stars were still visible. “The name’s Maquero. I’m the current leader of the Disciplined.”

Zodiac’s eyes lit up. “Then you can stop this war, right?”

“It isn’t that simple. If I could do that, I would’ve done it when I heard that Rizo’s looking for an out.”

“What’s stopping you then? Is Jhinal that set on destroying us?”

Maquero now stood in front of Zodiac. “You know the answer to that question. A Tyranitar gets what they want or dies trying, and it’s damn near impossible to kill a Tyranitar. If you want to even have a sliver of hope at ending this all, you’d have to either surrender, or rally all of the Disciplined against Jhinal.”

Zodiac let out a long sigh. “Rizo’s far too stubborn to surrender. How on Earth are we going to convince an entire rival clan to turn against their terrifying leader?”

“The odds are stacked against you. That much is obvious. But I think Saeji and Havupac can help you.”

“Yeah, one problem with-“

“Havupac has a great deal of respect for Damien. I will work on Saeji. You will find that not many of the Disciplined have any personal grudges against the Tailwinds. The only person I can-“

“Nalen.”

Maquero appeared to be annoyed that he was interrupted. “Yes, Nalen. If you want to win him over, you’re going to need some smooth talking and a proper apology from Larcel.”

“Speaking of Larcel, I probably shouldn’t leave her alone. I know she can take care of herself, but with that bounty on her, she’s going to be a hot topic.”

“Never underestimate your allies. Larcel can handle herself.”

“I don’t doubt that.”

Maquero gave Zodiac a once over. “You seem a lot more fit than your father.”

“Don’t get the wrong idea. He can fuck you up if you underestimate him. Sure he likes to eat, but that won’t stop him from blasting a hole through you if you really piss him off.”

“That is if he can catch me.”

“Unless you’ve got a trick up your sleeve or are a really fast runner, he very easily can.”

“The former. Tell Damien I wish him luck, and luck to you too.”

“Wait, before you go. Why are you helping us?”

“Let’s just say that Saeji doesn’t have time for love when she’s occupied by the war. This clan means a lot to her, and she means a lot to me. The best solution to my problem is wrapping up this rivalry, and since you’re giving me a chance to do just that, I’m going to take it.”

Zodiac took a bit of time to process what Maquero said. “Thanks then.”

“Don’t thank me just yet. There’s a lot to do, for all of us. Better get started now.” His wings opening to fully show his uniform, Maquero turned and bolted into the trees back in the direction he came. Zodiac looked on for a bit, then continued on her way.

Fantasies began to play out in her head about a life of peace where she could live without looking over her shoulder every other step. She saw herself sitting at dinner with Damien, not a care in the world. “ _ Oh, I just can’t wait to be done and over with it. I can finally take time for myself, and socialize with people other than my clanmates, and I can have Damien. _ ” She recalled what she’d heard about Damien throughout her life, which wasn’t too much. “ _ For the son of such a fearsome warrior, he seems a lot gentler than most of the Tailwinds make him out to be. He’s just a boy who wants a normal life, even if his skill with the blade is so high. He’s certainly a rare find if what people say about his stars is anything to go off of. I wonder if he’s had other lovers besides me. I saw his heart flutter when he looked at me just like mine did, so he has to be available. He seemed a little nervous when he called me cute, so he probably isn’t too hardheaded. _ ”

Her relaxed expression shifted to confusion when she saw somebody ahead. A Blaziken stood in the middle of the path, a kimono covering their body. They had their eyes trained on Zodiac, and they appeared to be studying her. She stopped walking and got nervous. “You are her sister?” the Blaziken asked. Their voice was a female’s with a thick Russian accent.

“Am I who’s sister?” Zodiac responded, fear gripping her.

“The bounty’s.” The woman was making her words as menacing as possible, and it was succeeding in unsettling Zodiac.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Ohoho, but I think you do.” She began to approach, so Zodiac took a step back.

“Who are you?”

“Just a hunter looking for some easy money. My name is not important to the likes of you.”

“What was that?! I’m not gonna stand around and take that!” Her temper was rising. “And I’m not gonna let you get to Larcel either!”

“That is all I needed to hear.” The Blaziken leapt forward, then took a kick at Zodiac’s head. She ducked under the roundhouse and headbutted her assailant’s stomach. She ran around the Blaziken as she staggered backwards, but she wasn’t giving up so easily. “You can run, but I can run faster!” She gave chase, gaining on Zodiac as promised.

“Leave me alone you menace! You’re just targeting me because you don’t have the guts to take on Larcel!”

The Blaziken became enraged by that statement. “I could take her in my sleep!” The distance was beginning to close even faster.

“Then fight me!” Larcel’s voice shouted from the forest. The Blaziken slid to a stop, then turned to the source of the call and made a beeline into the trees. To her confusion, she didn’t see Larcel anywhere.

“What is the meaning of this? If you want to fight me- That fox!” Her fury rose even higher, and she used it to pursue Zodiac once more. She had gained a considerable lead by her deception, but the Blaziken was still faster than her. The chase continued for some time, the gap between them getting smaller and smaller.

Eventually, Zodiac began charging a Shadow Ball. She jumped up and spun around, letting it loose directly at the Blaziken, who crossed her arms and let it land, confident that she could keep going without losing speed. To her surprise, there was more oomph to the attack than she anticipated. She fell backwards on her rear, barely able to fathom that she just did what she did. One facepalm later, she was back at the pursuit. “You can’t run forever!”

“Neither… can you!” Zodiac’s exhaustion was apparent in her voice. Her legs and chest were burning from running for minutes on end, but she kept going, afraid of what would happen if she didn’t. “ _ Just a bit further! _ ”

The road ahead bent to the right, a massive minka on the right side of the road appearing as Zodiac passed the trees. Her pursuer decided to cut through the grass to reach her faster, a malicious grin forming on her face. “You’re mine now!”

Zodiac didn’t dare look behind herself. She put her right hand up to her chest from all the pain and took as deep a breath as she could, then shouted, “Dad, help me!”

Whether anybody heard her cry for help or not, it didn’t matter. The Blaziken slid to a stop and bolted in the opposite direction, while Zodiac continued inside the minka. She immediately found herself hugging a Hydreigon who wore a crimson shozoku made especially for them, the wing crest burgundy on theirs. Her heaving breaths told them all they needed to know, so they flew out the doorway and took a look around. They saw the Blaziken just as they rounded the bend. “It’s okay precious,” they told Zodiac. They had a gruff male voice with a little bit of German mixed in. “Daddy scared them off. Get yourself some food and water. I’ll protect you if they come back.”

“She’s… after Larcel! Wanted… to use me… as a trade.”

“A good for nothing bounty hunter? Where’s Larcel? I thought you were bringing the supplies for repairing Yuna’s home.”

“Larcel… told me to… go home. Said she’d… do it.”

Rizo looked concerned as he disappeared from Zodiac’s view, flying in the direction the Blaziken left. Not having the energy to follow him, Zodiac sat down and put her head between her knees, her breathing still heavy.

The minka itself was rather large, no walls separating portions from each other. There was a long table with four chairs in the middle, upon which a ceramic bowl filled with bread sat. Near the back were two beds on the left and a bigger bed on the right. Above the two smaller beds were katana racks, the left one holding a blade.

She waited there until Rizo returned a few minutes later, a glint of blood staining his two side mouths’ teeth. “I had a little chat with our little bounty hunter.” Zodiac raised her head to face her father. “Says her name is Tusdok, and also, ‘Ow, your teeth are digging into my arms. Let me go you brute.’ I did as she told me at about twenty feet off the ground. Half wish it broke her legs.”

“You let her walk away?” Zodiac finally had her breath, although she felt faint.

“After she pleaded for mercy and said she wouldn’t hunt Larcel or you. Did she hurt you?”

“I’m fine now. She didn’t lay a finger on me.” Zodiac found herself smiling. “I’ve had such an eventful day!”

“Really now? Did you eat and drink yet?”

“Not yet.” Hearing that, Rizo offered one of his heads like a hand. Zodiac grabbed it by either cheek and let him pull her to her feet. She then wrapped her arms around his middle neck in a hug, which he reciprocated with his two side necks.

“It’s okay. You’re safe now. Let’s get you fed and watered, then you can tell me all about today.”

Zodiac broke away from Rizo and went to the table, taking a seat and a piece of bread. “Oh, where do I begin?” She took a bite of bread with voracious glee.

“Maybe after you chew.” Rizo allowed himself a chuckle.

Zodiac did just that, chewing what was already in her mouth and swallowing. “Alright, let’s start with the fact that I wasn’t hurt during any of this. I went through the forest to get to the village when I ran into Havupac.”

“You got away from Havupac?! I can hardly fly faster than he can run!”

“He isn’t terribly bright y’know. I deceived him by making a simple illusion where I hopped on his head and continued on my way. By the time that faded, I had a big enough lead that by the time he’d figured out which direction I went, I was long gone. He still gave chase regardless. I ran for a bit until I literally ran into somebody else. We tumbled down a little hill until we stopped at the bottom, him on top of me. It was Saeji’s son, Damien.”

“Damien? That name rings a bell, but I don’t think I know anything about him.”

“We stared into each other’s eyes for a while. He’s quite handsome, and he didn’t see the crest on my clothes until we stood up.”

Rizo gained three big grins. “You’re fraternizing with the enemy, huh?”

“He told me he hates this war between the Disciplined and Tailwinds, and that he wants to put an end to it. So I said ‘Me too! Dad wants out, I want out, you want out. Let’s be friends and work together and all that!’ Then Havupac caught up, but I hid us with an illusion before he saw us. He eventually left, and I kinda sorta held Damien’s hands in my own for a bit while we stared into each other’s eyes again. I wanted to kiss him, but that’s a little too sudden for the first meeting in my opinion.” Zodiac put the rest of her bread in her mouth.

“Sounds like somebody’s in love!” Rizo somewhat teasingly but mostly seriously exclaimed, drawing out the last word. “When do I get to meet him?”

“I hope soon, but with his mom taking command tomorrow, things might get choppy real quickly. Judging from your recounts, she’s not one to let up.”

“She hasn’t bested me yet, but damn is she a persistent bitch. Numbers are your friend when dealing with her. So do you really think there’s something he can do to help us find peace?”

“I don’t know, but he seems determined to find something. He also seems to like me, as he said ‘Maybe love can convince them.’”

Rizo’s smiles widened. “It seems like I oughta meet him. Hopefully his insight can get us closer to a ceasefire.”

“Well I’m going back to meet him in the morning. But there’s more to my day than that. I made my way to the village when Larcel intercepted me. I told her everything up until that point, so she sent me home and continued on instead.”

“I’m still never going to be able to wrap my heads around her whole bisexual thing. If she’s happy, then great, but I just don’t get it.”

“More power to her! So I went to the road here and started walking home. Then I was met with a rustling in the trees. It turned out that Maquero had seen my talk with Damien and wanted to speak with me.”

“Ah, Maquero. That bastard is way too smart. So what did he have to say to ya?”

“Something about crushing on Saeji and how ending the war would increase his chances of getting close to her. He said the only way to end the war would be to surrender or to turn the Disciplined against Jhinal.”

Rizo mulled it over in his head, the thoughts apparent on his face. “Maybe if we show some of them him committing an atrocity, then we can get some changes in their hearts.”

“How are we going to-“ Zodiac got the idea.

“Damien,” they said in sync.

“He’ll have to play informant if we want this to work out,” Zodiac continued, “and I’m not sure just how willing he is to throw himself deeper into the clan.”

“Well we’ll just have to see. This is a lot of hope riding on his shoulders, and if he isn’t willing to play informant, then we’ll have to find another way.”

“Hopefully he pulls through. I’d love to live a peaceful life for a change.”

“Me too. But how could we with Jhinal out there? All he wants to do is destroy and kill, and I’m sure he’d find some way to get at us if we got him booted from his own clan.”

“Could we use those attributes against him to get him ousted?”

“Possibly. Get yourself some water sweety. I’m going to go out and help Larcel.”

“Okay. Love you dad!”

“Love you too my precious little girl.” Rizo flew out the door and followed the road out of Zodiac’s sight. With nothing better to do, she began getting water for herself.


	4. Quaking

The sun began to set when Damien returned home. He peeked inside hesitantly, then slipped up to the kitchen door and listened in on what he could hear on the other side.

“-nonsense coming from?” he heard Saeji ask. “What’s gotten into you?”

“I’m just saying that we can end the war if we figure out why it was waged in the first place,” Maquero returned. “Surely Rizo has to have his reasons.”

“He’s a violent warmonger who revels in conflict. That’s plenty enough!”

“What if he isn’t though? What if Jhinal is lying? What if we’re the bad guys?”

“You’ve lost your mind. We fight for honor and our fellows. To say you want to abandon the cause is a high form of treason rivaled only by the assault of your own clanmates. You know this.”

“I’m just saying that the war is taxing. I’m getting tired of fighting battle after battle the moment I lay eyes on a red clad Pokémon. Maybe there’s- That’s it!”

“What hogwash are you about to spout this time?”

“What if we use Damien as a spy? He’s really vocally neutral, so maybe he could get close to them and feed us information about them! Maybe through that Zodiac girl!” Damien suppressed a gasp.

“And why would they trust him? Especially because he’s my son. No way they’d chance it.”

“C’mon, just think about it! Damien can handle himself, and we could use the intel to finish the war! Whether it’s a peaceful and diplomatic resolution or a devastating crush, we’ll come out victorious.”

There was a silence that lasted long enough for Damien to decide to walk in. He slid the wall to the side and entered. “Speak of the devil and he shall appear,” Saeji marveled,

“Were you talking about me?” Damien inquired, acting oblivious.

“Yeah, we were! Saeji, can I ask him?”

Saeji let out a sigh of exasperation. “It’s not like I’m allowed to stop you.”

“Great! Damien, it’s my understanding that you’re neutral in this war in spite of Saeji’s attempts to make it otherwise?”

“Hey!”

“Uhh, yeah. Where are you going with this?”

“You want to end the war, right?”

“Yeah.”

“And you’re a lady’s man like me, right?”

Saeji got a laugh out of Maquero’s narcissism. “I wouldn’t know. He hides his social life like it’s a precious treasure.”

“What I’m trying to get at here is that I want you to be a spy. Act like you despise the Disciplined and gather intel for us so we can use it to reach a resolution. What do you say?”

Damien looked into Maquero’s eyes. A subtle nod and the intelligent gleam told him that he knew. “If it gets this dumb feud over with.”

“You’re serious?” asked Saeji.

“Of course he is! It’s my plan after all! My plans are amazing!” Maquero had a gloating laugh that got both Damien and Saeji to roll their eyes.

“Alright Damien, just promise me that you’ll be careful. Don’t go anywhere without your katana.”

“Speaking of katanas, I need to get mine sharpened. I was planning on going out to the village to do that tomorrow morning.”

“What a convenient excuse to miss the ceremony,” Saeji pouted.

“Well you don’t want me to get hurt because I couldn’t subdue a foe, would you?”

“No… While you’re there, could you-“

“Maquero!” a low and grisly male voice roared. “Where the hell are you?!”

The three faces took on panic in tandem. They all rushed outside as quickly as possible. “Saeji’s house, sir!” Maquero shouted back into the forest. Slowly but surely, the ground began to shake, each tremor getting louder and louder as whoever called approached. From the trees emerged a Tyranitar, their black shozoku somehow seeming even darker than Damien’s. The stars on the shoulders of his uniforms only had navy blue outlines, the fill being the pitch black that the rest of his clothing.

“Why are you all the way out here instead of preparing to relinquish your command to Saeji?”

“Y’see, I was just asking for her opinion on some intel I gathered to see if it was worth bringing up to you. I didn’t want to waste your time with pointless info, so I wanted to see what she thought of it!”

“Which was so painfully obviously going to happen, so there’s no way you weren’t aware of it.  _ I _ think he just wanted-“

“All intel is good intel. Keep it in your pants Maquero.” A snickering Saeji watched as Maquero’s face turned red. “What did you figure out?”

“I- I- I-“

“He saw a small group of Tailwinds transporting supplies to their territory to repair  _ your _ handiwork. Nice job by the way. The look on that Noivern’s face conveyed pure despair.”

Everybody stared at Damien dumbfoundedly. “Jhinal, what is he talking about?” inquired Saeji.

“How do  _ you _ know about that?”

“Uhh, duh! There’s a certain benefit to not announcing to everybody and their mother that you belong to the enemy. I can waltz around their turf all I please because I don’t wear the crests on my shoulders. As for knowing you did it, your attacks have a very noticeable pattern. Anybody who pays close enough attention can tell that Jhinal the Terrifying was the cause of the hole in the wall. It’s demoralizing them, that’s for certain.”

Jhinal studied Damien intently, approaching him and looming over him. Saeji and Maquero backed away, but Damien stood perfectly still as he met his master eye to eye. “I misjudged you. I thought you were a spineless, dim witted, good for nothing coward. And then you pulled this stunt, telling me that you’ve been spying on the Tailwinds this whole time while covering for your embarrassed superior. I can tell you realize that I would be pissed to hear that you’ve been withholding information from me. I can see that in your eyes. But you stepped up and said it. And honestly? You’ve got balls kid. I am genuinely impressed and amazed that you have the gall to do what you just did. You stand here completely unfazed while your superiors blanch behind you. You don’t fear me. That is respectable. Honestly, that is respectable. You’ve got a bright future with us, I’m sure of it. You two could stand to learn from him.”

Nearly petrified, Maquero and Saeji could only nod. “Though their spirits aren’t completely crushed,” said Damien. “Larcel still has it in her to be all lovey dovey with that Noivern. Cheered them up a good deal.”

“That Noivern is a girl!” Jhinal shouted in outrage. “Of course the Tailwinds let that kind of stuff go.”

“Uhh…” Damien couldn’t find his words.

“That’s not the most fitting quality of-“ Maquero began before Saeji covered his mouth.

“You’re going to get yourself killed!” she whispered urgently.

“Anything else you feel like sharing kid?”

“Yeah, and it’s kind of a big deal. Rizo wants out. He wants out of the war, but he can’t bring himself to surrender.”

“What?!” Saeji let go of Maquero from the shock. “You’re only saying this now?!”

“That’s great to hear! We can call it all off! Or rather, we could if it’s okay with you master Jhinal!” There was a fleeting hope in Maquero’s words. He felt it for a single second before it was crushed.

“We are the Disciplined. We don’t back down. They slighted us by declaring war. They won’t forget that. We can’t let them.” Jhinal turned away and began leaving. He didn’t get far before stopping and turning back to Damien. “Keep up the good work kid.” With that, he walked back into the trees. Damien stared after him for some time.

The three all let out massive sighs of relief, Damien letting himself fall back on his rear so he could collapse onto his back. He clutched his chest just above his heart and took deep breaths. “Are you out of your mind?!” Saeji asked.

“You’re a psychopath!” screamed Maquero.

“I… have… cajones!” Damien threw his arms up in the air, then let them fall spread eagle.

“You have brain damage, that’s what you have! You could’ve gotten Saeji and I killed with you!”

“You have no room to talk! Sure, denouncing his homophobia would’ve been the right thing to do, but I’d rather not have a mother-son-other bonding experience while we ran for our lives!”

“Oh just kiss already!”

“Damien! That’s not something you just say to your superiors! You’re flustering Maquero!”

Damien let his head roll to the side a bit to see that Maquero’s face was beet red again. The owl slouched a bit and nervously looked at Saeji, then spread his wings and embraced her. She didn’t know how to react. “I thought I was gonna die right here and then!” He was truly shaken, just now letting it be heard as his shock caught up with him. “Saeji, I’m sorry about this! He wouldn’t have come if I had just stayed at HQ and gotten ready for tomorrow like he said!”

Saeji took a while to form a response. “It wasn’t that bad, really. Nobody was hurt, and Damien over here has revealed something that I myself am thrilled to hear.”

“Huh? I did?”

“Oh, don’t play dumb! I’m so proud of you! You’re a full blown spy and you never told me?”

“ _ Oh _ . That.”

“Honestly, I can’t think of a single reason why you’d withhold such information like that! Maybe because it makes it look like you really do have something against the Tailwinds?”

“Whatever you say mom. They won’t suspect a thing.”

“Well if you’ve been doing it on your own for awhile, then I don’t see what the harm of sidling up to that fox would be. Go for it!”

“Awesome, cuz I already beat you to the punch. I’m meeting her tomorrow while I get my katana sharpened.”

“Oh, you mastermind! I’m sorry I ever doubted you! Oh, and… You can let go of me now.”

Reluctantly, Maquero broke away from Saeji. He held a sheepish yet grateful grin. “Hehe… Yeah…”

“You should probably get back to headquarters,” Damien advised. “Before you go though, I need to have a word with you.”

“Yeah, sure.” Maquero walked away quickly, Damien following behind. With no reason to stand outside, Saeji went into her home. “So what’s up?”

“Don’t ‘what’s up’ me,” Damien whispered angrily. “You were spying on me and Zodiac!”

“Hey,” Maquero whispered back, “at least I support your cause! I’m trying to help here!”

“Thank you for that, but next time, try going about it better! What have you told who?”

“Let’s see here… After you and Zodiac parted ways, I followed her and had a chat. We agreed that our best bet at peace is through turning Jhinal’s own people against him. Now that we know he’s a homophobe, maybe we can use that to convince some people. Then I came here and told Saeji that I think we could follow diplomacy, then that whole spy business to cover your being gone while we figure things out. But then you derailed things with your confrontation.”

“Which wouldn’t have happened if you thought of a better excuse for being here.”

“Whatever! Now I need to ask  _ you _ something: how much of what you said back their was true and how much of it did you bullshit?”

“I think I get what you’re asking, but forgive me if this isn’t the answer you wanted. I learned that he was terrorizing them through Zodiac as you may have heard, so I made up that hole in the wall stuff. I didn’t know whose house it was, so I went with Yuna because that’s the only other Tailwind I know by name, and I knew she was dating Larcel because I met the two earlier today. That’s when I learned they were transporting supplies, giving me the ammo I needed to cover your sorry ass.”

Maquero appeared to be furious at the last remark, but he held his composure long enough to take a few deep breaths. “In that case, you haven’t really been frolicking around enemy territory, and any more questioning would’ve turned this close call into our last call.”

“Yup!” A seething rage overcame Maquero at how casually Damien dismissed his serious concern.

“I want to strangle you so fucking bad.”

“But your one true love would  _ never _ forgive you for laying a finger on her only son!”

His face going red once more, Maquero took a step back. “I- You- Ugh!”

“Come on man, you know I’m just yanking your chain. I was scared shitless when Jhinal walked up to me. I’m just good at faking body language from doing it to mom all the time. My heart was beating out of my chest!”

“That doesn’t make me feel better!”

“I’m trying, okay?!”

“You’re insufferable.”

“Wow, what an original insult! Try again-“

“Okay, enough! I don’t see a single way fighting will help us, so let’s just drop it. You got what you wanted out of the situation, and I got what I wanted. We can pick things up in the morning.”

“Alright. Goodnight.”

The instant mood change from Damien perplexed Maquero to no end, but he didn’t feel like processing it. He walked past Damien and disappeared into the forest. Damien then joined Saeji inside for the night.


	5. Form

His katana slung across his back, Damien left his home at the light of dawn and made his way through the forest. He quickly bored of walking, so he forged two water kunais and set them on the webbing of his right hand. When he scrunched his fingers together, the blades became nestled between them. “Knife knuckle,” he muttered to himself. Eventually, he reached the hill that overlooked the pond. He let the kunais slip out of his hand as he beheld the sight before him.

At the bottom of the hill stood Zodiac. From between her back and her ratty hair, blinding white angel wings appeared to sprout. Damien knew they weren’t real, but he was still amazed to see such an illusion. She turned to face him, her beauty seeming to triple since he last laid his eyes on her. “Good morning,” she greeted, her voice ringing through the air. Getting a better look at her, he realized that the wings that usually emblazoned her breast were gone.

“Did you remove the crest with your powers?”

“I did. It’s still there, and I’m not bothering to remove its sensation. You can still feel it with your touch if you’re so inclined.”

Damien’s face gained a slight rosy blush. “Is that an offer?”

“It is now.” Her seductive follow up included a beckoning claw curl.

“Y’know what? I’m good. I met your sister and her girlfriend yesterday.”

“They told me when they got back. Dad was really happy to hear about you.”

“That’s good. Hopefully mom doesn’t see through my ruse.”

“Ruse? What ruse?”

“So here’s the thing: mom and Jhinal think I’m spying on the Tailwinds.”

“Hmm… That’ll complicate some things.”

“No matter. Shall we?”

“We shall.” Damien met Zodiac halfway, then the two locked elbows and began walking towards the village. “So I’m Zoey, right?”

“Yup. Try not to slip up, and maybe alter the color of your clothes to something a little less Tailwindy.”

“Royal purple it is.” Zodiac let the illusory wings retract as her shozoku became a rich purple. “Isn’t that a nice color?”

“Yeah, I like that a lot. I think it suits you.”

“Well then why stop there?” The next thing to change color was her black fur, which found itself being a lighter shade of purple. Then, her red fur and claws became a sort of cerulean. “What do you think?”

“That’s… amazing.”

His awe made her smile. “Thanks hun. I’d like to think so too.”

“Do you not?”

“Well to change colors is a really mundane and simple illusion. Invisibility is basically the same, albeit a lot more useful. Manipulating the senses of those around me to create visual and auditory theatrics is easy and rather dull in my opinion, although it can be fun at times. What’s more fun is messing with the sense of touch.”

Damien suddenly felt a hand on his back. He didn’t react to it physically. “Maybe when you’re doing it to the unsuspecting.”

“Hmph! Yeah, it is. I wouldn’t expect anything less of you. You’re too intelligent to be tricked by me. And handsome. And devoted.”

“And you’re too pretty and sweet to even want to trick me in the first place.”

“D’aww… Not true though. I’ll get you one of these days.”

“Wanna bet?”

“Alright. If I win, you have to kiss me.”

“And if  _ I _ win,  _ you _ have to kiss  _ me _ !”

“Deal!” The two used their free hands to shake on it, Damien having to twist his wrist to make them line up properly. “But you should know that I don’t lose.”

A stray thought about a snide remark crossed Damien’s mind, but he suppressed it. Without thinking about it, he made another water kunai with just one hand and absentmindedly spun it around in his hand. He didn’t even realize he did it until he heard Zodiac make a small questioning noise. “Oh, I’m doing it again.”

“That’s a pretty little knife. Is it really made out of water?”

“Yup.” He tossed it into a tree trunk and slipped his arm out from Zodiac’s, then made a star. “Have you heard about our shurikens?”

“I think so. Yours are rare because they’re six sided, right?”

“Mhmm. Mom’s are only five sided, so she was really shocked to see my first attempt produce a flawless six sider.”

“Wow… Can you make anything else?”

“I’ve been experimenting, and I think I’m getting close.” He stopped in his tracks and focused deeply, raising his hands in front of himself and putting them together as if he was unsheathing a katana. Slowly, a blade began to form, curving slightly. He let go on one end and moved his free hand to the other and gripped the air where a hilt would be. As he did so, one formed, a guard soon following that appeared to connect the blade to the handle. “Now for the moment of truth.” He let go of the blade, which fell to his feet. “Damn it! I still have to figure out a way to connect the tsuba to the habaki…”

“What if you started from the kashira and worked your way up so you didn’t have to make it in two parts?”

“I’ve tried. Can never seem to get past the tsuba.”

“Show me how you’re trying from the kashira. We might be able to work this out.”

Willing to try, Damien discarded the worthless handle and gripped the air again, a new handle forming within his grasp. He worked his other hand up to where the guard would be and lifted his forming hand slightly to pinch where the guard should form, rotating the handle as he worked around it. When the guard was finished, he moved his hand to where the blade would begin and slid it up the nonexistent edge, nothing coming of it. He handed her the handle and picked up the other one. “I’m kinda stumped, but I don’t wanna give up. Making a water katana would be amazing!”

“Hmm… What if you did the same thing for the habaki as you did for the tsuba?” Zodiac moved her free hand to the guard and pinched as best she could with her claws and ran them up where the blade would form, a green blade appearing as she did. “Like this!”

“That looks like it’ll work!” Damien dropped his handle and made a new one, doing the same thing as before for the guard, but then shifting his hand down the guard to where the blade would begin and running his hand up the blade. The sword gained an edge, Damien’s eyes widening with his smile. He finished his creation and lifted it skyward. “This is it! This is exactly how I wanted it to be! Thank you!”

“It was nothing, really. You’re the one who made it!”

“We’ve gotta test it out! Grab a branch or something!”

His excitement making her excited, Zodiac found a fallen branch and held it away from her body. With two hands, Damien held out the water katana to make sure he wasn’t too close, then raised it above his head and brought it down. The branch was cut in two while the katana held its form. “It works!”

“Oh thank you thank you thank you!” Damien dropped the sword and hugged Zodiac tightly. She responded by dropping the sticks and hugging back.

“Glad I could help! Are you going to make a saya for it?”

“Nope! The water decompresses eventually. You’d have to have some freak powers to make a permanent shuriken. Otherwise, why wouldn’t we all use Water Shurikens?”

“Fair point, and quite a shame. But what does it matter when you can make as many as you want in ten seconds?”

“I can’t wait to show Razor! He’ll be so blown away by this!” Damien grabbed Zodiac by the hand and bolted, mindful of her running speed. She kept up well enough.

“Who’s Razor?”

“Only the coolest smith you’ll ever meet! He’s the guy we’re going to for my permanent katana’s sharpening. He’s a Bisharp that excels at swordplay.”

“I’ve never seen a Bisharp before. Larcel always handles my katana’s upkeep for me, letting me use hers while she’s out.”

“She seems like a really good sister. The closest I have to a sibling is Nalen, but I’ve only known him since we were fourteen. He moved here from way up north to join the Disciplined. Havupac seems to like him a lot.”

“When he was still fourteen? That seems unlikely.”

“Up there, adulthood is when you reach your final form, unless you don’t evolve. Then it’s sixteen according to him.”

“Hmm… Strange. Do you know why he joined the Disciplined?”

“Said it was so he could train to deal with something personal. Over time though, he learned to hate the Tailwinds. The indoctrination that we undergo is horrifying. I’ve seen even the smartest and strongest of will twisted by Jhinal’s teachings.”

“Dad’s nothing like that. He fights for his fellows. The Tailwinds are basically just friends who have each other’s backs. We’ve considered renaming ourselves to the Slipstreams, but nobody sees any reason to rename.”

“Tell me more about your command structure. How do you operate?”

“Command structure? Besides Rizo being the leader, there isn’t really a command structure. He has two advisors, but that’s really it. Everybody else is an equal, and even the advisors don’t get special privileges. They’re just… them. No titles, no favoritism, no nothing. Just warriors ready to fight for what they believe in.”

“And they believe Jhinal is evil?”

“If dad does, they do too. He didn’t indoctrinate them like you say Jhinal does. He proves that the clan is worthy of admiration and respect, and that the cause is worth your blood. He’s willing to die if it means justice is served.”

“Wow… I wish I was born to him instead of my lousy mom. Sure, she wants what’s best for me, and she’d probably give her life for me, but to force me to be a part of something I don’t care for? Something that’ll likely tear the people I care about away from me in their deaths? It just… makes me despise her.” The two stopped running. “I want to love her, really. She’s the only parent I’ve got after dad went off to become some military leader or something. One letter and he leaves for fourteen years. Never writes home.”

Zodiac was silent for a time as she contemplated how to respond. “I… never met my parents. Dad doesn’t talk about them. Every time they’re brought up, he takes on a look of anguish and despair. I think something bad happened to them. Why else would I have been adopted?”

Damien couldn’t bear to look back at her. His grasp on her hand slowly loosened until either one’s arm returned to their sides. “ _ Something bad happened to them on the day the war was waged… Is Jhinal a murderer? _ ”


End file.
